A school vice principal, Mohammed Mohammed, arraigned for allegedly impregnating his student, has been denied bail by a Magistrate’s Court in Minna, Niger state.
Th e court, which rejected his bail plea, ordered that Mohammed, a Vice Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Tunga, be remanded in prison custody.
Th e News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child, and impregnating a female student. Th e police prosecutor, Pius Asawa, told the court that a man, Sokombo Danjuma of TungaMinna, reported the matter at the Child Rights Agency, before it was later transferred to the Police.
Asawa quoted the complainant as alleging that the vice principal unlawfully had sexual intercourse with the 16-year-old JSS 3 student, and made her pregnant. He said the off ences contravened sections 18(2) and 25 (3) of the Child Rights Law of Niger State. When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty. Th e prosecutor, thereafter, asked the court for adjournment to enable the police complete its investigation into the matter.
He also objected to bail for the accused, arguing that it may jeopardise police investigation. Th e counsel to the accused person, A.I Mustapha, however, moved an oral application for bail of his client on the grounds that the off enses were bailable. Mustapha also challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.
In her ruling, the magistrate, Fatima Auna, rejected the bail plea, and asked the defense counsel to formally write a complaint if he was not satisfi ed with the position of the court as regards bail for the accused. She adjourned the matter to April 26 for further mention.
